Despite the opposition raising concerns about budget cuts to the tune of some $617-million, government says not to worry.
Finance Minister Tom Osborne says they are looking for efficiencies, but they aren’t willing to close hospitals in order to achieve the efficiencies needed to return to surplus.
He says they’re still focused on returning to surplus, but has backed-off on the firm stance of reaching it by 2022-23.
Osborne says the reality is as they continue to look at challenges they face like oil shutdowns, they re-prioritize which way they are going to focus, and they continue to do that.
The Minister says the mid-year update will be out in a couple of weeks, ideally before the House adjourns in early December. It’s then Osborne says they will have a better understanding of when government plans to reach surplus.
Osborne says they get criticized for spending more, and at the same time get criticized for not spending enough. He says everyday in the House, the politics are evident on the floor of the Legislature, and he isn’t convinced them laying out their ideas will be met with great applause and great support.
He says his door is open to all members about their ideas to find efficiencies.
‘Cabinet Confidentiality’ Preventing Opposition from Reviewing Fiscal Plan, says Wakeham
Meanwhile, the PC Finance Critic says if government isn’t hiding any major cuts, then they should show the people what their plan is.
Tony Wakeham says there are documents that backup the number of $617-million in budget cuts. He says there is a fiscal plan that all departments prepare. They asked to see it, but were turned down due to “cabinet confidentiality” so they know it exists.
Wakeham says all they’re asking for is for government to come clean. He says if government is planning significant reductions, tell the people what their plan is, and don’t hide behind it.
Wakeham says he is fearful that if government doesn’t start looking at expenditures and fall back into the trap of relying on oil, the province is going right back to where it came from.
He says we can’t do that. If we have non-renewable resources, lets use them to pay down our debt, and focus on where we can build in the future, but government cannot continue to maintain expenditures.
NDP Leader Hopeful House Can Behave Better as Budget Discussions Approach
The Leader of the NDP says it’s difficult to collaborate or even cooperate when accusations are being hurled across the House of Assembly.
When it comes to supporting the budget, Alison Coffin says it all depends on what is in it.
Coffin says it’s been her intent to rise above issues of behaviour in the House and it seems like it may be under control right now, and better behaviour is coming. She says the budget itself will determine whether or not they will support it. But, what’s important in that is how New Demorat ideas and platforms that they’ve raised are incorporated into the budget.
Coffin says they have proposed the idea of a secretariat that would enable members to bring budget ideas forward. But, she says the NDP will not support a budget with no details on how they will plan to balance it.
Coffin says if she is going to support a budget, she wants to know exactly how it will be balanced, what will be cut and what will be added, if anything at all.
She says that needs to be representative of the ideals and perspective of New Democrats.
